soetanoreoluwa:


You never stated the cup.
Sammy doing well

Yes Sammy is doing it week in week out in England division one though not able to leave up to expectations cos by now he should be cutting it in EPL but that's football.

Any news on invited players for the March friendlies?

I cannot see any Senegal friendlies or preparation, I hope they perform well too this WC

Malaga Place Watford Loanee Isaac Success On Special Weight Loss Drills




Isaac Success has been placed on special training drills by coach of Malaga Jose Gonzalez to help the Nigerian shed weight and boost their fight to escape the drop from the LaLiga.

Success joined Malaga from English Premier League side Watford on loan for the rest of the season, and it appears his lack of game time coupled with the injury he suffered months ago has lead to a weight increase for the forward.

He is presently having double sessions supervised by the fitness coach of the LaLiga side as they bid to beat him back to shape ahead of their battle to remain in the top division in Spain.
It is too soon to know if he will be fit for Malaga’s next fixture after missing their last league game against Atletico Bilbao due to his weight. Same reason why coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr has severally put him on special drills whenever he is in the camp of the Super Eagles.

While his ability is not in doubt, Success has struggled to fulfil the potential that made Watford splash big to sign him from Granada two summers ago .


**Daniel Martins

Source: http://owngoalnigeria.com/2018/02/16/malaga-place-watford-loanee-isaac-success-on-special-weight-loss-drills/

Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 118 days 1 hour 25 mins to go

Liverpool Boss Klopp Happy With Taiwo Awoniyi Progress At Belgium Side Mouscron



Coach of Liverpool Jurgen Klopp is aware of the progress on loan Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi is making at Belgium side Mouscron, where he is currently on a season long loan from the Premier League side.

Awoniyi has had too forgettable spell on loan, first in Germany with second division side FSV Frankfurt, where he scored just once in 13 games for the team who were eventually relegated to the third division in Germany.

The 20 year old was at Dutch side NEC Nijmegen, but just like his first loan spell in Germany, he struggled to get sufficient game time and also had to endure the pain of relegation with the team after they failed to stay in the division via the play-off.

However at Royal Excel Mouscron of Belgium, he has grown into a regular player for the first team with 24 games under his belt, and six goals to his name as well.

He has also distinguished himself in several roles in attack aside his main position as the main striker. A role he has flourished in for the various arms of the Nigeria youth teams that he has represented in the past.
His form has delighted Klopp who was instrumental in Liverpool signing the forward after a dazzling display for the Nigeria U20 and 23s in 2015. A scout of the team responsible for monitoring players on loan has communicated the manager’s happiness to the Nigerian.


**Osas Mahawi

Source: http://owngoalnigeria.com/2018/02/16/liverpool-boss-klopp-happy-with-taiwo-awoniyi-progress-at-belgium-side-mouscron/

Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 118 days 1 hour 8mins to go

congo4ka:
Any news on invited players for the March friendlies?

Three players

congo4ka:
I cannot see any Senegal friendlies or preparation, I hope they perform well too this WC

same here

‘It was frustrating’ - Rejuvenated Iheanacho reflects on slow Leicester City start
By Tolu Olasoji, Correspondent




The rejuvenated Nigeria international was signed for a club record fee and was expected to hit the ground, which, sadly turned out otherwise

Kelechi Iheanacho has reflected on his slow, ‘frustrating’ start to life at Leicester City, following his record move from Manchester City in the summer.

Iheanacho - with a proven record as a decent performer in the English top-flight - was snapped up from the Citizens for £25 million but 17 minutes into his Leicester debut, he suffered a setback.
The youngster came on as a 66th-minute substitute for Shinji Okazaki in a pre-season friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach, and, eight minutes later, he made his impact felt, laying the winner for Jamie Vardy. But he was forced off before the end of the game [which was played a week before their season opener against Arsenal] due to a foot injury.

First team actions were hard to come by for the Nigeria international after his recovery as he also had to deal with a dip in form.



In December, eyebrows were raised when the club’s major signing was one of the six senior team members that played with the U21s in a Checkatrade Trophy encounter against Scunthorpe United.

“It was frustrating, like; trying to come back,” Iheanacho told
SuperSport .
“You’re signed to a new team and they want you to play, trying to come back, trying to do the rehab with the physios and everything, and everyone was giving their best because I wasn’t fully fit," he continued.

The striker has since worked his way back to prominence with assuring displays in the FA Cup and a few Premier League games. However, it is the former that seen the forward made the most
impact.

Iheanacho has scored four goals in two FA Cup starts [three
games in total] and, again, created history as his goal against Fleetwood Town became the first to be awarded by Video Assistant Referee [VAR] in English football - his second notable landmark in the prestigious competition.

In the 2016-17 season, Manchester City kicked off the new substitute rule, with the young striker the fourth man coach Pep Guardiola threw on to the fray in an FA Cup semi-final clash against Arsenal. A history Iheanacho is 'happy to be part of'.




“FA Cup is so important in this country and to the fans, so I’m happy I’m having a good run in the FA Cup so I hope it keeps coming on, it keeps going like that,” he said.

“Hopefully, I score in the FA Cup final if we get there and hopefully we will get there.

“We [Leicester City] will just keep on working hard and make sure that we take it step by step and game by game so our next game we need to focus and make sure we take that one out of the way.”

On Friday evening, Claude Puel's side welcome Sheffield United to the King Power Stadium for a fifth-round encounter in the competition and Iheanacho is likely to continue leading the line.


Source: http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/it-was-frustrating-rejuvenated-iheanacho-reflects-on-slow/1ipj4v1r6lo5q1gektrmg65ha5


Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 118 days 24 mins to go

congo4ka:
I cannot see any Senegal friendlies or preparation, I hope they perform well too this WC

The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) has confirmed that the Teranga Lions will play Uzbekistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg and Croatia in friendly internationals ahead of the World Cup in Russia later this year.

By Oluwashina Okeleji

BBC Sport

Samuel, Idowu Score In Amkar Perm Friendly Win

Nigerian internationals, Aaron Samuel and Brian Idowu, were both on target for Russian Premier League club Amkar Perm in the 2-0 win against Armenia side Alashkert in a friendly game on Thursday, reports Completesportsnigeria. com.

Samuel, who is on trials at Amkar Perm from CSKA Moscow, netted the opener in the 15th minute.

The forward received the ball from Alexander Milkovich inside the box and fired it into the net to put his team ahead in the game

Left-back Idowu added the second 17 minutes from time after he was set up by Janusz Gol.

The other Nigerian at the club Fengor Ogude was introduced in the 55th minute in place of Gaschenkov Ezzatollahi.
Amkar will face Dynamo Kiev in their next friendly game on Sunday.


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/samuel-idowu-score-amkar-perm-friendly-win/

Ndidi Voted Complete Sports January Player Of The Month

Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has been voted Complete Sports Player of the Month for January by readers across our platforms.

This is the first time-ever that Ndidi will emerge winner of the Complete Sports Player of the Month award.

Ndidi secured an overwhelming 67 per cent of the votes from Complete Sports readers amd Completesportsnigeria.com users on the website, Twitter and Facebook.

In second place is Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho with 17 per cent of the votes, while Super Eagles and IfeanyiUbah goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, came a close third with 16 per cent of the votes.

Ndidi has been one of Leicester City’s consistent performers and the month of January was no different from previous months.

And to cap a memorable month, Ndidi was on target in Leicester’s Emirates FA Cup win against Peterborough.

As usual, Ndidi was in Leicester’s starting line-up as they thrashed Huddersfield 3-0 at home in the league on New Year’s day.

In the Emirates FA Cup clash against Fleetwood on January 6, Ndidi did not feature as he was part of his side’s substitutes in the game which ended 0-0.
Ndidi was back in Leicester’s first XI on January 13 away to Chelsea.

In the FA Cup replay against Fleetwood on January, 16, Ndidi found himself back on the bench as Leicester cruised to a 2-0 win thanks to two goals from Iheanacho.

Against Watford in the league on January, 20, Ndidi featured as Leicester won 2-0.

Ndidi who had sat out Leicester’s previous FA Cup games, was brought on in the 64th minute against Peterborough in the fourth round on January 27 which the Foxes won 5-1. Ndidi was on target as he scored Leicester’s fifth goal after Iheanacho had helped himself with a brace.

The away game against Everton on January, 30 which ended 2-1 to the home team, saw Ndidi back in the starting line-up for Leicester.

HOW YOU VOTED:

Wilfred Ndidi 67%
Kelechi Iheanacho 17%
Ikechukwu Ezenwa 16%



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/ndidi-voted-complete-sports-january-player-month/

Wow. Croatia really means business this time. And I was here praying that they would underrate and take us for granted like most of the Euro pundits are doing. Anyway, I hope that Rohr and his crew have their own scouts ready to spy Croatia, Iceland, and Argentina. Let the better scouts (or should we say, let the better spies) win


O pari

TheSuperNerd:
Croatia Appoint Vukojevic To Spy On Super Eagles Vs Poland
By David Meshioye



Croatia Football Federation (CFF) have endorsed the appointment of top scout Dalic Vukojević to spy on Super Eagles as Gernot Rohr’s men take on Poland in a pre-World Cup friendly on March 23, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Sportske.jutarnji.hr confirmed on Thursday evening that the scout’s basic task would be to study the Nigeria national team closely and provide coach Zlatko Dalić with all necessary dossiers on individual players that make up the Super Eagles.
The Croatia sports platform revealed that Nigeria remains coach Dalic’s biggest headache in Russia 2018 Group D which also has Iceland and Argentina.
The coach had on Wednesday insisted that beating Nigeria is not negotiable if Croatia is to have any chance of making progress in the group.

Dalic is said to have developed confidence in Vukojević after the latter helped Dalić with right analysis ahead of the duel with Ukraine in Kiev, to ensure the country’s qualification for the World Cup.
The Dynamo Kyiv scout who is joining the Croatian backroom staff on temporary basis will be in Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, venue of the friendly match between Nigeria and Poland. The three-time African champions have been drawn in Group D along with Argentina, Croatia and Iceland for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and Nigeria’s group opener is against Croatia on June 16.


Source: https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/croatia-appoint-vukojevic-spy-super-eagles-vs-poland/

Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 118 days 15 hours 33mins to go

What kind of silly news article is this? Moses chasing FA Cup goal for where??

Victor Moses is a RWB at Chelsea. His primary responsibility isn't to score goals. When/if he scores, it's only a bonus ... hence, he shouldn't be "chasing any FA Cup goals".


O pari

TheSuperNerd:
Moses Chases First FA Cup Goal In Two Years, Kayode Eyes First 2018 LaLiga Start
By Johnny Edward



Victor Moses will hope to end his goal drought of two years in the English FA Cup when Chelsea take on Hull City in the fifth round of the competition on Friday night at Stamford Bridge, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
The Nigerian international who has scored six times in the competition last scored a goal in the FA Cup in West Ham’s 5-1 demolition of Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on February 21, 2016.

The 27-year-old was then on loan at West Ham from Chelsea.
If Moses gets Antonio Conte’s nod to play tonight, it would be his 30th appearance in the competition since he made his FA Cup debut 10 years ago, coming on as a substitute in Crystal Palace’s 2-0 loss at Vicarage Road to Watford.
In Spain, it remains to be seen if Olanrewaju Kayode will make his first appearance for Girona in 2018 when they host Leganes on Friday.

Kayode, who has made 12 La Liga Santander appearances since joining Girona on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City, last featured for the club on the 21st of December in their 4-1 defeat to Eibar.

In Germany, Leon Balogun is in line to make his ninth Bundesliga apprearance for Mainz 05 on Friday when they travel to Berlin to face Hertha Berlin.
Balogun has been a bit-part player for Mainz this season due to injury.
If Balogun gets the chance to feature it will be his 70th appearance in the German Bundesliga since he made his debut.


Source: https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/moses-chases-first-fa-cup-goal-two-years-kayode-eyes-first-2018-laliga-start/

Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 118 days 2 hours 1min to go

UK Mirror Rates Super Eagles’ New World Cup Kits The best

United Kingdom online news hub mirror.co.uk has rated Nigeria’s World Cup kits the best among the 19 so far unveiled by the teams that are going to the mundial in Russia this summer, reports Completesportsnigeria. com. The Super Eagles World Cup kits were unveiled in London by the manufacturer, Nike in London on Wednesday.

The website did a ranking of the kits of all the 19 countries who have unveiled their World Cup kits and picked the Nigerian jersey as the best from the lot.

“And while you’re there, pick up this glorious effort from Nigeria that comes out as a deserving No. 1,” reads the statement on the website.

“It’s incredible, frankly, and is bound to turn us all into Super Eagles in the summer.”
Some of the other countries that have unveiled their jerseys are hosts Russia, Nigeria group foes; Argentina and Croatia, as well as Belgium, England, Switzerland and Uruguay.

The kits ignites memory of the patterned Adidas jersey that the Super Eagles wore at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia and their first World Cup in the United States of America that same year.

What appears to be the away kit has the shirt in predominantly light green background with bold white V-shaped patterns drawn on it. The sleeves are white underneath black patterns. The shorts are plain white.

The home shirt is all-green jersey which is darker than usual.

ROAD TO RUSSIA: Which CHAN Eagles Stars Should Be In Rohr’s World Cup Squad?

The home-based Super Eagles made history at the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco by becoming the first Nigerian team to reach the tournament’s final.

Although Salisu Yusuf’s side were well beaten in the final by the hosts, they did well to go that far in the first place. Nigeria crashed out in the first round in 2016 and lost in the semi-finals before winning bronze in 2014.

This present team were driven to that final by the excellent performances of some of the players, some of whom will have ambitions of taking a few steps higher in their international careers.

The biggest stage is obviously the World Cup with the main Super Eagles squad, but how many of these Home Eagles stars, if any, are good enough for Gernot Rohr’s Russia 2018 World Cup squad?

The goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Dele Ajiboye, who both displayed top-class qualities in pulling off unbelievable saves? The giant centre-back Stephen Eze who had a very good tournament and marshalled the defence brilliantly at least until the collapse in the final? The young forwards Ikechukwu Gabriel and Sunday Faleye whose potential is not in doubt? Or the young left-back Ikouwen Udoh who showed great composure and stood out in almost all the games?

Who among these Home Eagles stars do you reckon should be on the plane to Russia or at least be given a shot to fight for a place
It is time again to have your say as Completesportsnigeria.com continue our Road To Russia World Cup Debate series.

Use the ‘Leave a Reply’ field to air your views. Comments on Facebook are also welcome.



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/road-russia-chan-eagles-stars-rohrs-world-cup-squad/

Rohr ‘Impatient And Excited’ Ahead Russia 2018, Eager To Impress With Super Eagles

Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, says he can’t wait for the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia even as he hopes to lead the team to a respectable outing at the mundial, reports Completesportsnigeria.com (CSN).

Rohr will handle a national team for the first time at the World Cup after masterminding the Super Eagles’ qualification for the mundial in a tough group which has”d African heavyweights, Cameroon, Algeria and onetime African champions, Zambia

“Yes, I’m impatient and a little excited too, we’re proud to have been the first Africans to qualify for the World Cup,” the German stated in a chat with French online news medium, tf1.fr .
“Now we have to make a good result at this World Cup.

“We have some hope of a good result in our first match against Croatia.”
The Super Eagles are drawn in Group D with Croatia, Iceland and Argentina.

The three-time African champions will face Croatia in their first group game at the Kaliningrad Stadium on June 16.

Their second game is against Iceland at the Volgograd Arena on June 22, while they will take on Argentina in their last group game on June 26 at the Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg.



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/rohr-impatient-excited-ahead-russia-2018-eager-impress-super-eagles/

Russia 2018: Iceland’s Skulason Confident, Not Afraid Of “Africa’s Best” Nigeria

Turkish club Karabükspor midfielder Olafur Skulason is optimistic that his country Iceland will pick up points against Nigeria and qualify for the knockout stages of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Skulason, 34, and his teammates will face Argentina, Nigeria and Croatia in Group D in Iceland’s first ever FIFA World Cup appearance at Russia 2018.

“Nigeria are the best team in Africa at the moment, they are very, very strong. It is a very difficult group but I’m pretty confident we can pick up points and our goal is to qualify, to be in the top two places,” Skulason told tgrthaber.com.tr.

“That’s 100 per cent our goal and we believe we can and we’ll see how it goes.

“It’s going to be great. Of course, we know ourselves – we can win against Croatia, we know that. We’ve done it and we played them so many times, it’s getting boring now. But they are a very good team of course and we have to be on top of our game to do it.”



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/russia-2018-icelands-skulason-confident-not-afraid-of-africas-best-nigeria/

Dembele’s Nephew Sanusi Fears Belgium Snub, Targets Super Eagles World Cup Spot

Sparta Rotterdam midfielder Ryan Sanusi is eyeing a place in Nigeria’s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.

The 25-year-old who has a Nigerian father and a Belgian mother is a nephew of Belgium international Moussa Dembele who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.

Sanusi is eligible to play for both Nigeria and Belgium although he has already represented the latter at the U-20 level.

“It’s not something I’m really working on, but it would of course be great,” he told Dutch newspaper Het Algemeen Dagblad.

“The Red Devils (Belgium) are far too ambitious. After all, every player wants the highest possible, which is the World Cup., you can not come higher than a World Cup as a footballer.

“You always aim to play at the World Cup as a footballer but the Belgian team will be a difficult story for me.

“To play for Nigeria at the World Cup, of course there are a lot of good footballers in Nigeria, but it seems to me that I will get a chance there rather than in Belgium, although I do not really take it into account.”

Sanusi joined Sparta Rotterdam from Willem II in 2015 and has scored seven goals in 72 appearances.



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/dembeles-nephew-sanusi-fears-belgium-snub-targets-super-eagles-world-cup-spot/

Magink:


The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) has confirmed that the Teranga Lions will play Uzbekistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg and Croatia in friendly internationals ahead of the World Cup in Russia later this year.

By Oluwashina Okeleji

BBC Sport

Two bad for them.. They playing just one world cup bound team "Croatia". Their players risk injuries with those low Nations they are playing

The owner of Oliseh's club tweet:

Kog45:
Yes Sammy is doing it week in week out in England division one though not able to leave up to expectations cos by now he should be cutting it in EPL but that's football.

Exactly what I wanna hear from Newcastle to...
Division One.. Atleast his getting us form back which is very good.

He can still come out good though

Awaziem is back on the Nantes team after injury.

19 year old from African Sport, ivory coast..

Icon79:
What kind of silly news article is this? Moses chasing FA Cup goal for where??

Victor Moses is a RWB at Chelsea. His primary responsibility isn't to score goals. When/if he scores, it's only a bonus ... hence, he shouldn't be "chasing any FA Cup goals".


O pari

O pari master dey vex ooooo...... Hahahahahahahahaha

tbaba1234:
19 year old from African Sport, ivory coast..

Lol... Is he not 19yrs old?

KPOM!


O pari

TheGoodJoe:
I just want to address the Rapid way insults at an alarming rate happens on this thread. I know a Whatsapp group that had some old Super Eagles players including Emma Okocha. The group was known for in depth analysis of the game and healthy debates.

Then there was a breakdown of order and two members of the group went on a Rapid session of insults. Sad part is that two of them were friends who knew themselves for years. Then there was an exodus of members from the group due to that breakdown including the Former Super Eagles members.

So the insults have the potential of not only hurting those the words were hauled at but also making members not take the thread seriously.

We should take each others as brothers and take each others family members as ours. When I lost my father last October, I got Condolence messages from this thread that in a little way made it possible to deal with the painful loss.

We should keep that love among us growing just as tbaba1234 sent a gift to another members child.

Thank you and...

Finito.

Double KPOM!!


O pari

TheGoodJoe:
I will also like to address the notion that someone said he would join a group against one of our promising young talents, Kelechi Iheanacho. That is unbelievable to read. That is not what we are doing here. We are here for the best of the team and the best of Nigerian players. There should not be a pro or anti Nacho or any player campaign.

Just as we should see ourselves on this thread as family, we should have the same love and respect for our young players, both home and foreign based. Their success will only make our team stronger.

So we should not wish or go against any of our players.

If any wants to criticise, he is free to do it but it should be with an honest intention to build the player and not to tear the player down.

The idea that someone intends to run a player down on the thread even though the player is doing well, frightens me.

Football is our biggest uniting force. We should help it continue to heal the wounds our division has caused us.

tbaba1234:
Awaziem is back on the Nantes team after injury.

back in training?i was beginning to get worried

Nna, naija journos are ridiculous. They can fabricate anything to sale papers.


O pari

TheSuperNerd:


O pari master dey vex ooooo...... Hahahahahahahahaha

asha80:
back in training?i was beginning to get worried

Yes, back in training. Injury is part of the game

tbaba1234:
19 year old from African Sport, ivory coast..

This one has taken age cheat to a new level.

This kain lie can wake up a dead person.

I think it is because some of the Naija Journos expect Moses to be Salah since they were head to head for the BBC APOTY and both in the Top 5 for the CAF APOTY reduced to Three and which saw Salah deservedly take it. Well... they kinda forget Moses won't get a lot of goals from his wing back role as he does for Nigeria when he is played upfront. .

All the same shaa... I think it was their way of telling us that Moses never score FA Cup goal for two years... funny people... looolll

Icon79:
Nna, naija journos are ridiculous. They can fabricate anything to sale papers.


O pari